Hong Kong men’s 4x100m relay team targeting former glory – and place at Paris 2024 Olympics
- As recent rebuild continues apace, team is eyeing success at Asian Championships in July and Asian Games in Hangzhou
- Hong Kong were once ranked No 1 in Asia after qualifying for 2012 London Olympics, before snatching gold at regional level
Hong Kong athletics chiefs hope strong recent form by members of the men’s 4x100 metres relay team can lead to regaining the No 1 ranking in Asia – and to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
While Ng Ka-fung equalled the decade-long 100m record of 10.28 seconds in late 2021, two silver medals from sprinter Shak Kam-ching at international events have also bolstered the team’s confidence.
The latest came at the weekend when Shak finished second in the men’s 60m at the Asian Indoor Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The 21-year-old clocked 6.65 seconds in the dash, behind champion Imranur Rahman of Bangladesh who finished in 6.59. Former Asian 100m record holder Femi Ogunode of Qatar – who has a personal best of 9.91 seconds – was fourth in 6.67.
In November, Shak also finished second in the Thailand Open when he clocked 10.38 seconds in the 100m.
“Shak has been making good progress and his results at international events can be very positive to our relay team,” Simon Yeung Sai-mo, senior vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, said.